Too Many Rabbits

Understanding Priorities

In the movie, The Last Samurai, there is a famous scene where Tom Cruise's character has to face a well-trained, experienced swordsman (Ujio) in a sparring match with wooden swords (boken). Cruise's character, Capt Algren, who seemingly mastered the art of Japanese swordsmanship in just under a couple months...online...continues to lose bout after bout against Ujio, played by Hiroyuki Sanada, aka, an actual martial artist...not online. Anyway, Algren receives some sage advice as to his failed attempts: "Too many mind." If you've seen the movie, you know the scene very well. And true to form, Capt Algren meditates for a few seconds, because he's mastered that as well, and precede to have a stalemate with a seasoned warrior who would have completely annihilated him otherwise.  But hey, it’s Tom Cruise.

So, that movie came out in 2003, but I actually received very similar advice by one of my teachers in Japan back in 1993.  I was stationed at Misawa Air Base, Misawa City, Japan and had, after a long search, found a couple of dojos where I wanted to train.  You see, I knew I had a very limited time to train in Japan and I wanted to make the most of it, taking in as much as I possibly could, knowing that I would most likely never be able to come back.  Surprisingly enough, I wasn’t really interested in obtaining a black belt in anything; I just wanted to experience martial arts training in Japan…you know, a bucket list kind of thing.  So, I trained in three different dojos five days a week; an aikido dojo, an iado (sword drawing) dojo, and a Shorinji Kempo dojo, kind of a cross between kung fu and karate.  To say I was burning the candle at both ends is an understatement.

Now, if you have followed our blogs over the past few years, you probably know I’ve told this story before, but it never ceases to amaze me how little bits of wisdom come back around now and again.  Long story short, in my attempt to learn everything, I understood nothing.  And one night over beer and sake after class, our head aikido teacher, Yamamoto-san, who knew I was involved in three different martial arts, politely but bluntly told me that my aikido…sucked.  “Too many rabbits,” he said.  He was right of course, but that didn’t soothe my bruised ego.  Out of friendship and wisdom, he told me to make a choice…one choice and put my whole self into that choice.  More or less his exact words.  I took his advice and studied aikido exclusively over the next four years.  I left Japan with a second degree black belt and a rich appreciation for its martial culture.  I also learned how to prioritize other aspects of my life, like my job and my family.  As I’ve said before, I’ve learned far more in a dojo than just fighting.  Fighting is easy.

I have been reminded of this valuable lesson over the past four years that our dojo has been open to the public.  One rather difficult realization is that we can’t be everything to everybody.  For example, we’ve offered karate and aikido classes on and off for the last couple of years, mainly because I value and appreciate both arts and also, to “cast a bigger net,” as it were.  But I have come to realize that a small dojo like ours must have one direction.  It would be different if we had a few thousand square feet and a teaching staff.  We don’t.  But I believe that’s one of the things that our students appreciate.  And it doesn’t mean that we can’t teach different concepts, philosophies and ideas.  Yet, as with many things in life, ultimately there is one road.  There are a lot of interesting paths and detours, but one road.  Seems I’ve read that before.

If you are a student here or you’re wondering what we do, here it is:  We are a karate dojo that offers taijutsu as part of its curriculum.  Tai (body) jutsu (art or method) is a general term for close-quarter combat that typically involves grappling and throws.  In other words, aikido and jujutsu.  We don’t rank anyone in taijutsu, and anybody regardless of rank or style can come to those classes.  It’s all pretty basic stuff that ads the quality of our karate.  By the way, this is exactly how martial arts used to be before there were styles.  For example, a samurai may belong to a school that teaches swordsmanship, but that school usually had supplementary education, such as jujutsu or other methods of combat.  Still a a sword school, but more systematic and less stylistic.  Styles don’t win fights; practice, commitment and intention win fights.

So, there you have it.  We are a karate school that offers a lot in terms of fitness, training, confidence, etc.  But one road.  I hope you can stay on that road for the long haul.

Dave Magliano

Tatsu Dojo

Jissenkan Budo

Dojo Cho